I didn't hear from anyone, so I'm guessing that was too complicated and too much work, and you're right. So, if you want, you could just guess how any of these phrases originated (in the comments). It's a fun game, but it should probably be played, by its full rules, only in person.
Eat humble pie
Buy the farm
Clean as a whistle
Fly-by-night
Devil's advocate
Bite off more than you can chew
Hit the sack
Cut to the chase
Gum up the works
Eat crow
4 comments:
I was working on some answers, but real work kept getting in the way. I was curious what you'd do with the multiple, conflicting origin stories for some phrases. For example, I pretty sure that what I wrote for "fly-by-night" is an actual origin story for phrase. I also don't buy it and am quite sure that there is a better explanation of its origin elsewhere.
“Fly-by-night”
Origin: A type of light carriage which was popular in the 1800’s
“Devil’s Advocate”
Origin: A special council appointed by the Vatican to argue against canonization of a candidate for sainthood
“Hit the sack”
Origin: Based on the fact that for centuries the beds of the lower classes were sacks filled with hay, which one hit to rearrange
“Cut to the chase”
Origin: From the days of silent films, to skip the boring plot scenes and “cut” the celluloid to the exciting chase scene that the audience came for
“Buy the farm”
A 20th century military slang term, a euphemism for death and the resulting payout
Ah yes, real work, completely understandable! I should be doing the same. And yes, as it was set up, the game was probably going to get way too complicated, so this is much better.
Very impressive Lutheranchick...
your origins match exactly, except the one you were skeptical about, fly-by-night, but you should probably receive points for that too, at least according to the OED.
The card answer was this: "Originally a term used to accuse old women of being witches. By the 19th century it referred to persons or businesses doing poor work and leaving under the cover of night to escape creditors.
The OED lists its use:
"Originally a term used to accuse old women of being witches.
1796 GROSE Dict. Vulg. Tongue (ed. 3) s.v., You old fly-by-night; an ancient term of reproach to an old woman, signifying that she was a witch."
They also include:
"1818 Sporting Mag. II. 6 A species of carriage, which in Gloucestershire, goes by the name of ‘Fly-by-Night’."
Strange business motto, but whatever I guess. :)
Thanks for playing!
I sent you some answers. Did you not get them?
No, I'm sorry Lora, for some reason I did not get them. Could you send it again?
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